Domaine Faiveley Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2008 750ml

Discreet if not invisible wood frames a reserved but ripe, fresh and high-toned white peach and green apple nose that merges seamlessly into fine, precise, powerful and intensely stony flavors that culminate in an explosive finish with the same vaguely saline quality as the Bienvenues. This incredibly concentrated effort is a positively stunning and completely classic Corton-Charlemagne that is built to age.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Cote De Beaune
• Sub Appellation: Corton Charlemagne
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.